PANAMA CITY, Panama — Panama's First Lady Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos recently participated in an ceremony celebrating a project where a group of Latter-day Saint "Helping Hands" volunteers helped place 100 specialized wheelchairs to local children with cerebral palsy.
The Helping Hands volunteers — all members of the La Chorrera Panama and Arraijan Panama stakes — worked on the project for several months identifying children in special need of the wheelchairs.
The idea for the project began when a member who works at the Panamanian Institute for Special Rehabilitation recognized a special wheelchair need for children with cerebral palsy at the institute. Xenia de Archibold, an LDS therapist, was worried that the wheelchairs being used by the young patients were uncomfortable and did not meet the special quality-of-life needs of cerebral palsy patients.
The cost of a special wheelchair required of cerebral palsy patients is very high. Sister Archibold knew she did not have the resources or parts needed to modify the inadequate chairs being used by the children with such disabilities.
A project to help purchase special wheelchairs for the young cerebral palsy patients was presented and approved by the Church.
The plan was also presented to the First Lady's office. Mrs. Torrijos liked the idea and contributed materials needed to build the special wheelchairs. Other government agencies were also enlisted in the effort.
This project opened many doors throughout Panama. The First Lady is now planning to implement a similar project throughout the country with the support of the Church and the Helping Hands volunteers. In her comments at the recent ceremony, Mrs. Torrijos expressed her appreciation for the Church and the efforts of all who participated with Helping Hands projects.
Thanks to the La Chorrera and Arraijan members who sacrificed their free time in this effort, there was a happy conclusion to this effort to improve the lives of the children in need.
